Aaron Judge was having a standout season with the New York Yankees, setting multiple individual records and delivering performances that showed he was in peak form. But now, an elbow injury threatens to derail all of that and could keep him sidelined for a stretch.
The Yankees’ captain, who is currently batting .342 with 37 home runs this year, reportedly said he’s ready to keep contributing to the offense despite the injury, noting that his elbow doesn’t bother him when hitting — making the designated hitter role a viable option.
Judge expressed his desire to avoid a trip to the injured list: “I was reluctant about going on the IL… If I can hit, let me hit,” he said, explaining that his elbow isn’t an issue at the plate. He’s appeared in 103 games so far this season, but it remains unclear how many more he might miss due to the injury.
Boone Ready to Adjust in Judge’s Absence
Aaron Boone is already preparing for the possibility of losing Judge in the outfield, a move that would leave the Yankees short on defensive options. One potential solution is Giancarlo Stanton, though he hasn’t played the outfield since 2023.
“Aaron Boone has talked to Giancarlo Stanton about possibly having him play in the outfield. That would help considering Aaron Judge will need to ease back in at DH when he returns from the IL. It’s unclear how long it’ll take for Judge to return to the outfield,” Max Goodman reported on X.
Details on Judge’s Injury
According to Boone, the good news is that Judge’s UCL is not damaged. Instead, he’s dealing with a flexor strain, which will limit him for now — but could allow him to return as a designated hitter before he’s fully ready to play the field.
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